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‘Overreach’: NSW politicians rebuff One Nation transgender proposal
The NSW Attorney-General and shadow attorney-general have both dismissed a policy proposal from Mark Latham to ban transgender self-identification.
Jerome Doraisamy
Last week, NSW One Nation leader Mr Latham said that instead of people “being able to say they are male one day, female the next (and then back to male if they so wish)”, individuals would need specialist medical evidence supporting a change of gender.
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“We reject the Leftist notion of ‘gender fluidity’ and the confusion it is causing, especially among young people in NSW schools,” he wrote in a statement posted both on his official party Facebook page and on his unverified Twitter account.
“In reality, with very few exceptions, people are born either male or female. To move away from this biological truth later in life is a serious matter requiring specialist medical evidence. It should not happen because of Leftist ideology, individual whims or novelty factors.”
One Nation does not believe that gender changes should be self-identified on NSW government forms, permits and licences, such as those processed by Service NSW, Mr Latham continued, noting that the party supports the introduction of a government rule across-the-board prohibiting individual self-identification.
“We are particularly concerned by the damaging impact of gender self-identification inside the school system. Gender fluidity programs are part of a Leftist attempt to make young people feel confused and agitated about their identity, rising up against society as part of a political push,” he wrote.
In response to questioning from Lawyers Weekly about prospective legislation, NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said the statement government is “committed to protecting groups vulnerable to discrimination, including transgender people, and is not considering any plan to reduce that protection”.
Further, and in reference to new offences created in the Crimes Act in August last year, he noted that anyone who incites or threatens violence against people including based on their gender identity is liable to a maximum three years imprisonment in NSW.
“We are all entitled to express our views in NSW, but that doesn’t mean we have a license to drum up violence against innocent people,” Mr Speakman said at the time.
Shadow attorney-general Paul Lynch also said NSW Labor does not support the One Nation proposal.
“It would be a nanny state government overreach, especially granted the numerically very small group to which it applies,” he said.
“Labor supports the rights of all people to live free from discrimination. We also acknowledge there are significant issues impacting on the health and well-being of trans people in our community. Labor is committed, if elected, to review the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act. We’d expect issues such as these to be properly canvassed during the review.”
